Device for supporting an electric motor driving a turbine

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a device for supporting an electric motor driving a turbine. The device having a cage delimiting a housing for receiving the motor casing, this housing including a peripheral wall connected to a front wall, the peripheral wall being interrupted in order to define at least one channel for cooling the motor, the peripheral wall having at least two U-shaped folded lugs directed towards the inside of the housing and able to come into abutment against the casing of the motor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a device for supporting an electric motor drivinga turbine, notably for heating and/or air conditioning equipment in amotor vehicle.

It concerns more particularly a device of the type comprising a cageformed so as to delimit a housing for receiving the casing of the motor,which opens out into a shell for receiving the turbine, the housingcomprising a base wall connected to a peripheral wall, itself connectedto a substantially annular front wall forming part of the shell, and inwhich the peripheral wall is interrupted in order to define at least onechannel for cooling the motor, the said cooling channel being delimitedby two opposite lateral walls which extend in a substantially radialdirection with respect to the axis of rotation of the motor.

A device of this type is disclosed by the publication FR-A-2 412 976.

The motor/turbine assembly, also referred to as a "motorized fan", isdesigned to blow out a flow of air coming from outside the passengercompartment of the vehicle or a flow of air recirculated from thepassenger compartment in order then to send it into the passengercompartment after having been heated or cooled by a suitable heatexchanger.

The cooling channel or channels formed in the cage supporting the motorare designed to divert a proportion of the air flow moved by theturbine, so as to cool the electric motor. Generally the cage delimitstwo opposite cooling channels. As a result of this a proportion of theair flow enters a channel which serves as an air inlet, then sweeps theparts of the motor to be cooled and is discharged through the otherchannel, which serves as a discharge channel.

The support devices known up to the present time do not always givecomplete satisfaction since they very often generate a high noise level,which impairs the comfort of use of the heating and/or air conditioningequipment.

This noise level is due partly to the acoustic radiation from thesupport and shell excited by the vibrations generated by the motor, andpartly to the turbulences in the air flow which enter the coolingchannels.

Moreover, they do not provide correct guidance of the air flow used forcooling the electric motor.

Another problem associated with this type of device lies in the factthat it is necessary, on each occasion, to provide a different cageaccording to the direction of rotation of the turbine, the latter beingdependent on the vehicle on which the heating and/or air conditioningequipment is to be installed. This is because, up to the present time,it is necessary to provide different directions of rotation depending onwhether the equipment is intended for a vehicle with right-hand drive ora vehicle with left-hand drive, or according to the internal arrangementof the components making it up.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the invention is notably to overcome the aforementioneddrawbacks.

To this end it proposes a device of the type defined in the introductionin which the peripheral wall has at least two U-shaped folded lugs,directed towards the inside of the housing and able to come intoabutment against the outer casing of the motor.

These lugs decouple and dampen the vibration emitted by the motor andthus prevent the transmission of this vibration to the device andprevent noise being generated in the passenger compartment of the motorvehicle.

The invention thus makes it possible to omit rubber dampers and theirholding rings which were up to the present time necessary, which notablymakes it possible to eliminate the damper fitting operations.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device comprises fourfolded lugs disposed advantageously at vibration nodes of the motor.

These lugs are preferably produced in the form of elastic blades mouldedin one piece with the peripheral wall.

According to another aspect of the invention, at least one of the twolateral walls of the cooling channel is connected to the annular frontwall by an inclined deflector wall.

Whereas up to the present time the lateral walls of the cooling channelor channels were connected to the annular front wall along a sharp edge,forming an angle of around 90, the invention provides for thisconnection to be made, for at least one of the two lateral walls of thechannel, by means of a deflector wall forming a kind of evolutive fin.

The presence of this deflector wall thus provides a gentle transitionbetween the annular front wall and the lateral wall of the coolingchannel, which improves the guidance of the cooling air flow with regardto both its emission and its discharge.

In a simplified embodiment of the invention, only one of the two lateralwalls of the cooling channel or channels is connected to the annularfront wall by an inclined deflector wall.

This embodiment is particularly suited to cases where the support isdesigned to receive a motor driving a turbine in a clearly defineddirection of rotation. In such cases, the deflector wall is situated infront of the cooling channel with respect to the direction of rotationof the propeller.

In this simplified embodiment, two deflector walls are thus found,associated respectively with the two cooling channels, in cases wherethe device has two cooling channels.

In a more elaborate embodiment, the two lateral walls of the coolingchannel or channels are each connected to the annular front wall by twodeflector walls.

This embodiment is particularly suited to the case of a support whichmay receive an electric motor driving a turbine equally well in onedirection of rotation or the other.

As a result the same support device can be used both for right-handdrive vehicles and for left-hand drive vehicles.

In the latter embodiment, the two deflector walls of a cooling channeladvantageously have a configuration which is symmetrical with respect toa radial plane passing through the axis of rotation of the motor andthrough the middle of the cooling channel.

In a device of the aforementioned type, the annular front wall has acurved inner edge and a curved outer edge.

According to one characteristic of the invention, the deflector wall isconnected to the front wall, forming therewith an angle which variesfrom the curved inner edge to the curved outer edge of the annular frontwall.

This connection angle is smaller at the inner edge than at the outeredge.

By way of example, the connection angle at the inner edge is around 20°and the connection angle at the outer edge is around 40°.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the deflector wallis connected to the front wall along a radial edge contained in theplane of the front wall.

The deflector wall is preferably connected to the lateral wall of thecooling channel along a non-radial edge.

The device of the invention preferably comprises two opposite coolingchannels.

In the following description, given solely by way of example, referenceis made to the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a support device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of this device from below;

FIG. 3 is a view of the device in section along the line III--III inFIG. 1 or FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial view in section along the broken line F-E-E-F inFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial view in section along the broken line H-G-G-H inFIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, in another embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device depicted in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises a cage 10 obtained byplastic moulding and shaped so as to delimit a housing 12 (FIGS. 2 and3) able to receive the casing 14 of an electric motor 16. The motor 16(FIG. 3) comprises a shaft able to be rotated about an axis X--X, and onwhich a turbine 20 is fixed. The motor/turbine assembly is also referredto as a "motorized fan".

The housing 12 is delimited by a base wall 22 of the cage 10, which isconnected to a peripheral wall 24, substantially of circular cylindricalshape about the axis X--X. The base wall 22 has a central protrusion 26in line with the motor shaft and two lateral protrusions 28 eachprovided with a hole 30 intended for the passage of a fixing screw orthe like (not shown) designed to cooperate with the casing of the motorin order to hold it in the housing and immobilize it both axially andwith respect to rotation.

The peripheral wall 24 has two protuberances 32 in the form of bracketsdisposed in regions diametrically opposed with respect to the axis X--X(FIGS. 1 and 2). These protuberances each delimit a flat 34 (FIGS. 1 and2) able to come into elastic abutment against the outer casing 14 of themotor. In addition, the peripheral wall 24 has two U-shaped folded lugs36 directed towards the inside of the housing (FIGS. 1 and 2) and alsoable to come into abutment against the outer casing 14 of the motor.

The folded lugs 36 are produced in the form of elastic blades moulded inone piece with the peripheral wall 24.

As a result the motor is immobilized radially with respect to theperipheral wall 24, while providing an annular passage 38 between thecasing of the motor and this peripheral wall.

The peripheral wall 24 is also connected to a front wall 40 of annularshape overall, having a radial extension 42.

The front wall 40 is provided with a rim 44 with a part 46 havingsubstantially the shape of an arc of a circle extending over threequarters of a circumference, this part 46 being connected to twosubstantially rectilinear parts 48 extending approximately at 90 fromeach other and bordering the extension 42.

On one of the two parts 48 of the rim 46 there is formed a lug 50serving as a support for the pins (not shown) of a connector.

Moreover, as from the peripheral rim 44, three lugs 52 are formed,serving to fix the support 10 to a shell cage 54 depicted partially inFIG. 3 and suitable for receiving the turbine 20.

Thus the front wall 40 and cage 54 together delimit the shell receivingthe turbine.

The peripheral wall 24 and front wall 40 are interrupted, in twodiametrically opposed regions, so as to define two opposite channelsserving to cool the electric motor 16.

These two channels comprise an inlet channel 56 disposed in the regionof the extension 42 and a discharge channel 58 disposed in the oppositeregion.

The inlet channel 58 is delimited by two opposite lateral walls 60 whichextend in a substantially radial direction with respect to the axis ofrotation of the motor and which are connected to the peripheral wall 24and to the front wall 40, including at its extension 42.

The two lateral walls 60 are also connected together by a curved wall 62which extends from the extension 42 as far as the base wall 22.

As can be seen better in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the lateral walls 60 isconnected to the front wall 40 by an inclined deflector wall 64.

These two deflector walls have a symmetrical configuration with respectto a radial plane P (FIGS. 1 and 2) passing through the axis of rotationX--X of the motor and also passing through the middle of the channel 56.

The deflector walls 64 fulfill the role of fins facilitating theguidance of an air flow taken from the shell and designed to enter thecage through the air inlet channel 56 in order then to come into contactwith the casing 14 of the motor, and more particularly the movingcomponents thereof (brush and collector), in order to cool them and thenreturn to the shell through the discharge channel 58, as depicted by thearrows in FIG. 3.

The discharge channel 58 is delimited by two lateral walls 66 which areconnected to the peripheral wall 24 and to the front wall 40 and whichextend in substantially radial directions with respect to the axis ofrotation of the motor.

These two walls 66 are also connected together by a curved end wall 68,which extends from the front wall 40 as far as the base wall 22.

The two lateral walls 66 are connected to the front wall 40 by twoinclined deflector walls 70 of symmetrical configuration with respect tothe radial plane P, which also passes through the middle of the coolingchannel 58.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, each deflector wall 64 has an inner edge AB inthe form of an arc of a circle connected to the peripheral wall 24, andan outer edge CD in the form of an arc of a circle connected to thefront wall 40 by means of a curved wall 72. Each deflector wall 64 isconnected to the front wall 40 along a radial edge BD and is connectedto the lateral wall 60 along a non-radial edge AC.

The radial edge BD is contained in the plane of the front wall 40, whilethe edge AC is not situated in this plane.

The deflector wall 64 forms, with the front wall 40, an evolutive angle.The inner edge AB is connected with the front wall 40, forming an angleof around 20°, while the outer edge CD is connected to the front wall40, forming an angle of around 40°. Thus each of the fins 64 movesprogressively away from the plane of the front wall so as to beconnected to the corresponding lateral wall 60.

Each deflector wall 64 thus affords a gentle transition between thefront wall 40 and the wall 60.

The deflector walls 70 have a similar configuration to the deflectorwalls 64. Each wall 70 is delimited by an inner curved edge EF connectedto the peripheral wall 24 and an outer curved edge GH connected to thefront wall 40 by a curved wall 74. Each deflector wall 70 is connectedto the front wall 40 along a radial edge FH and is connected to the wall66 of the channel 68 along a non-radial edge EG.

The angle of connection of each deflector wall 70 with the front wall 40is 20° at the inner edge EF (FIG. 4) and 40° at the outer edge GH (FIG.5).

There again, the deflector walls 70 afford a gentle transition betweenthe front wall 40 and the lateral walls 66 of the channel 58,facilitating the guidance of the air flow after cooling of the motor.

The presence of the deflector walls 64 around the inlet channel 56 andof the deflector walls 70 around the discharge channel 58 not onlyfacilitates the guidance of the air flow serving to cool the electricmotor, but also reduces the operating noise level of the motorized fan.

Moreover, another advantage lies in the fact that the cage 10 can beused whatever the direction of rotation of the motor and turbine.

Reference will now be made to the embodiment in FIG. 6, which is relatedto that of FIGS. 1 to 5, the common elements being designated by thesame numerical references.

In the embodiment in FIG. 6, the peripheral wall 24 has four folded lugs36, in a U shape, with a structure similar to that of the two foldedlugs 36 depicted in FIG. 2.

The four folded lugs 36 are directed towards the inside of the housing12 and, as in the previous embodiment, these four folded lugs 36 areproduced in the form of elastic blades moulded in one piece with theperipheral wall. These lugs are advantageously situated at vibrationnodes of the motor, which prevents the transmission of the vibrationemitted by the motor and consequently prevents noise being generated inthe passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Thus it is no longer necessary to have recourse to rubber dampers andplastic rings in order to damp the motor, as was the case in the priorart. This also eliminates the operations of fitting the dampers, andstandardizes the device, with a reduction in the number of types ofmotor support.

Naturally the invention is not limited to the embodiment describedpreviously by way of example.

Although the motor is preferably held by four U-shaped folded lugs, itwould be possible, as a variant, to provide only three folded lugs,disposed substantially at 120°0 to each other.

It is also possible to combine U-shaped lugs and flats, as in the firstembodiment cited.

In a simplified version, it is possible to provide only one deflectorwall per cooling channel, provided that the cage is adapted to receive amotor rotating in a given direction.

It is also possible to give other shapes to the inclined deflectorwalls, notably with regard to the values of the angle of connection withthe front wall.

The device of the invention mainly finds an application with motorizedfans used in the heating and/or air conditioning equipment of motorvehicles.

We claim:
 1. A device for supporting an electric motor driving arotatable turbine, the motor having an axis of rotation and vibrationnodes, comprising a cage formed to delimit a housing for receiving acasing for the motor, said casing having an external surface, thehousing having a base wall, a peripheral wall connected to said basewall, a substantially annular wall connected to said peripheral wallforming part of a shell, and in which said peripheral wall isinterrupted in order to define at least one cooling channel for coolingthe motor, and two opposite lateral walls connected to the peripheralwall which extend in a substantially radial direction with respect tothe axis of rotation of the motor to delimit said coolingchannel,wherein said peripheral wall has at least two folded lugsdirected towards the inside of the housing and abutting said casing ofthe motor, and at least one of said two lateral walls of said coolingchannel being connected to said substantially annular wall by aninclined deflector wall.
 2. A device according to claim 1, furthercomprisings folded lugs dispose at the motor vibration nodes.
 3. Adevice according to claim 2, wherein said folded lugs further compriseelastic blades molded in one piece with said peripheral wall.
 4. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein said folded lugs further compriseelastic blades molded in one piece with said peripheral wall.
 5. Adevice according to claim 4, further comprising an inclined deflectorwall, at least one of said two lateral walls of said cooling channelbeing connected to said substantially annular wall by at least one ofsaid two inclined deflector wall.
 6. A device according to claims 1,further comprising an inclined deflector wall, at least one of said twolateral walls of said cooling channel being connected to saidsubstantially annular wall by at least one of said two inclineddeflector walls.
 7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said twoinclined deflector walls of said cooling channel being situated in frontof said channel with respect to the direction of rotation of theturbine.
 8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said two lateralwalls of said cooling channel are each connected to said substantiallyannular wall by said two deflector walls.
 9. A device according to claim6, wherein said two inclined deflector walls of said cooling channel issituated in front of said channel with respect to the direction ofrotation of the turbine.
 10. A device according to claim 1, furthercomprising at least two deflector walls and wherein said two lateralwalls of said cooling channel are each connected to said substantiallyannular wall by said at least two deflector walls.
 11. A deviceaccording to claim 6, wherein said at least two deflector walls of saidcooling channel further comprise a radial plane passing through the axisof rotation of the motor and passing through the middle of said coolingchannel, said at least two deflector walls having a symmetricalconfiguration with respect to said radial plane.
 12. A device accordingto claim 11, wherein said substantially annular wall has an inner curvededge and an outer curved edge, wherein said at least two deflector wallsbeing connected to said substantially annular wall, forming therewith anangle of connection which varies from said inner edge to said outeredge.
 13. A device according to claim 1, wherein said substantiallyannular wall has an inner curved edge and an outer curved edge, saiddeflector wall connected to said substantially annular wall, formingtherewith an angle of connection, which varies from said inner curvededge to said outer curved edge.
 14. A device according to claim 13,wherein said angle of connection at said inner curved edge is smallerthan at said outer edge.
 15. A device according to claim 14, whereinsaid angle of connection at said inner curved edge is around 20° andsaid angle of connection at said outer curved edge is around 40°.
 16. Adevice according to claim 15, wherein said substantially annular wallfurther comprises a radial edge, and said deflector wall is connected tosaid substantially annular wall along said radial edge.
 17. A deviceaccording to claim 1, further comprising a deflector wall, wherein saidsubstantially annular wall further comprises a radial edge, and saiddeflector wall connected to said substantially annular wall along saidradial edge.
 18. A device according to claim 17, wherein said deflectorwalls being connected to said lateral wall of said cooling channel alonga non-radial edge thereof.
 19. A device according to claims 1, furthercomprising a deflector wall, said deflector walls being connected tosaid lateral wall of said cooling channel along a non-radial edgethereof.
 20. A device according to claim 9, wherein said peripheral wallis interrupted in order to define two opposite cooling channels.
 21. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral wall is interruptedin order to define two opposite cooling channels.
 22. A device forsupporting an electric motor driving a rotatable turbine, the motorhaving an axis of rotation and vibration nodes, comprising a cage formedto delimit a housing for receiving a casing for the motor, said casinghaving an external surface, the housing having a base wall, a peripheralwall connected to said base wall, a substantially annular wall connectedto said peripheral wall forming part of a shell, and in which saidperipheral wall is interrupted in order to define at least one coolingchannel for cooling the motor, and two opposite lateral walls connectedto the peripheral wall, wherein said lateral walls extend in asubstantially radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation ofthe motor to delimit said cooling channel,wherein said peripheral wallhas at least two folded lugs directed towards the inside of the housingand abutting said casing of the motor, and at least two deflector wallsand said two lateral walls are each connected to said substantiallyannular wall by said two deflector walls.
 23. A device for supporting anelectric motor driving a rotatable turbine, the motor having an axis ofrotation and vibration nodes, comprising a cage formed to delimit ahousing for receiving a casing for the motor, said casing having anexternal surface, the housing having a base wall, a peripheral wallconnected to said base wall, a substantially annular wall connected tosaid peripheral wall forming part of a shell, and in which saidperipheral wall is interrupted in order to define at least one coolingchannel for cooling the motor, and two opposite lateral walls connectedto the peripheral wall, wherein said lateral walls extend in asubstantially radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation ofthe motor to delimit said cooling channel,wherein said peripheral wallhas at least two folded lugs directed towards the inside of the housingand abutting said casing of the motor, and wherein said substantiallyannular wall has an inner curved edge and an outer curved edge, adeflector wall connected to said substantially annular wall, formingtherewith an angle of connection which varies from said inner curvededge to said outer curved edge.
 24. A device for supporting an electricmotor driving a rotatable turbine, the motor having an axis of rotationand vibration nodes, comprising a cage formed to delimit a housing forreceiving a casing for the motor, said casing having an externalsurface, the housing having a base wall, a peripheral wall connected tosaid base wall, a substantially annular wall connected to saidperipheral wall forming part of a shell, and in which said peripheralwall is interrupted in order to define at least one cooling channel forcooling the motor, and two opposite lateral walls connected to theperipheral wall, wherein said lateral walls extend in a substantiallyradial direction with respect to the axis of rotation of the motor todelimit said cooling channel,wherein said peripheral wall has at leasttwo folded lugs directed towards the inside of the housing and abuttingsaid casing of the motor, and wherein said substantially annular wallfurther comprises a radial edge, and a deflector wall connected to saidsubstantially annular wall along said radial edge contained in the planeof the front wall.
 25. A device for supporting an electric motor drivinga rotatable turbine, the motor having an axis of rotation and vibrationnodes, comprising a cage formed to delimit a housing for receiving acasing for the motor, said casing having an external surface, thehousing having a base wall, a peripheral wall connected to said basewall, a substantially annular wall connected to said peripheral wallforming part of a shell, and in which said peripheral wall isinterrupted in order to define at least one cooling channel for coolingthe motor, and two opposite lateral walls connected to the peripheralwall, wherein said lateral walls extend in a substantially radialdirection with respect to the axis of rotation of the motor to delimitsaid cooling channel,wherein said peripheral wall has at least twofolded lugs directed towards the inside of the housing and abutting saidcasing of the motor, and a deflector wall being connected to saidlateral wall of said cooling channel along a non-radial edge thereof.